A New Normal
by Mischief-With-Sandra
Summary: 45 days. He had left her for 45 days, and then he came back as if nothing had ever happened. Acted as if the previous three weeks before she landed in the hospital hadn't taken place.


**OOOOO**

She didn't know what had really happened. One moment she was interrogating a potential suspect in the Los Angeles Police Department holding room and the next she was on the ground staring up at the ceiling with stars in her eyes.

Apparently the rookie she had been assigned to for the day hadn't thought to check and make sure the violent suspect in question was _actually_ secured to the table properly. Chloe had finally hit a nerve with the surly, malcontent man and he lashed out. All she can really recollect is that it must have been in that moment when he became enraged and took a swing at her with both hands. Strong hands had indeed thrown her into the adjacent wall, knocking her head and shoulder into it with a loud crunch and then nothingness. She can imagine she went down quick like a rag doll given the force he exerted on her.

Blinking in rapid succession, Chloe tried to clear her head, but can't seem to manage such an effort with so much yelling and going down. There are people hovering around her, but she can't make out their faces clearly enough yet. One for certain, she knows is Dan. She's known him too long to not know he tell tale signs of worry, even if she can't fully focus yet.

Groaning from the ever growing pain behind her eyelids, Chloe attempts to sit up, only to make it about halfway before blinding light fills her vision. Not lasting anymore than a few seconds, it's gone. She can feel Dan's hand on her back coaxing her to take it easy, helping her the rest of the way up and into a standing position. Leaning heavily against the wall, her eye sight has cleared mostly; so she can fully take in the scene before her. Their now, suspect turned full blown perpetrator, is on the floor, handcuffed properly on the ground, with 2 officers surrounding him, guns drawn. She shifts her head to the right to get a good look at their newest recruit, who at least has the decency to look ashamed and embarrassed over a situation that could have easily been avoided. She would have to file a report on him over his inept ability to follow simple procedures, but Chloe certainly didn't wish any permanent marks on his record; they were all rookies once, and everyone has their own stories to tell. Frowning and grimacing, Chloe is all too aware that while the end outcome of his mishap turned out with minor injuries, it could have been so much worse, and she's grateful there were people nearby.

The rushing white noise in her ears is starting calm and she can hear Dan speaking to her now trying to get her attention.

"Chloe? Hey, look at me. We should take you to the hospital."

She can feel him take her by her left shoulder to steady her and check her over for more serious injuries, but as soon as he mentioned the word hospital she jolted with a flood of emotion, grounding her back to reality.

"No. Dan, I'll be fine. My right shoulder is sore and my head is killing me, but it's nothing that requires a trip to the hospital."

"Chloe, you should get yourself checked…." Dan started to rebuke her answer, but Chloe quickly cut him off with a look that left no questioning her.

"I said, I'm _fine_ ," she grounded out. There was no way in hell she was going back to the hospital. It only brought back painful memories. Memories of _him,_ before he shattered her world and _left_. Chloe was perfectly happy if she never went to the hospital again, ever. To be reminded of times that she had thought were happy and good, only to have it all ripped away from her. 45 days. He had left her for 45 days, and he came back as if nothing had ever happened. Acted as if the previous 3 weeks before she landed in the hospital hadn't taken place! He had the nerve to show up to work the very next day after his return and assume he could pick up their work related duties as if everything was hunky dory. And don't even get her started on the Candy incident that she had to deal with too. Thankfully, to her sanity, that particular emotional turmoil came and went as quickly as Lucifer jumps in and out of bed with partners. No surprise there really, but she thought he had changed recently. Guess the joke's on her.

That was just two weeks ago, and here she is now. Swallowing her pride and burying her feelings under the guise of work, she held her head up and refused to move any direction but forward. She told Lucifer last week that she would only work with him on extremely urgent cases that required his expertise, and to not push her for anything more than that until she decided otherwise.

Taking in the scene around her, and given her current state, she actually wishes Lucifer was here. That it wasn't Dan comforting her that it was Lucifer instead. And that makes her angry. That even after all the time has passed, she still can't seem to get him out of her system. That she still _wants_ him around. She can feel the back of her eyelids start to burn and knows she needs to get out of there.

The room has cleared now and only left herself and Dan, who is looking at her with more and more concern, if that's even possible. Having gotten lost in her thoughts, she's missed what he's been saying, but can pretty much generalize what he's been saying.

"Stop trying to convince me of something I don't want to do! You want me to get checked out! I will, but in our medical bay here – not anywhere else," snapping at Dan, Chloe feels badly. She knows he's only worried about her well-being, but all of her thoughts being consumed of Lucifer have caused her to lash out and direct her anger at anyone in her path right now. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and tries to will her emotions into check, "I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to shout at you. Thank you for being here. Could you pick up Trixie for me and take her to your place tonight?"

"Chloe. It's alright. I get it. We're all a little worked up right now," he states, smiling at her in understanding. Motioning to the door, he take her by the shoulders and steers her in the direction of the medical bay the department uses from time to time, "You get yourself checked out, make sure you don't have a concussion, and I'll go take care of Trixie."

As they walk into the center of the precinct, about to go their separate ways, Chloe turns to him as a thought occurs to her, "Dan. Don't tell Trixie about what happened. She worries too much, and I'd rather not scare her over another incident like last time. And whatever you do, do not tell Lucifer."

Nodding to her, he gives her a wry sort of smile before leaving her side.

Rubbing a hand over her face, Chloe is tempted to skip the medical exam and go straight home, but she's aware that won't go over well with anyone. Making her way to the corner office, tucked in the back of the building, she slowly walks down the long narrow hallway. As she gets closer the office, the pain in her head seems to be intensifying causing her to use the wall as a method of support. Sluggishly she enters the office and is grateful the PA on duty is there, because as a wave of pain shoots through her body, Chloe ends up tripping and nearly face plants onto the floor. She expected to be on the ground again only to find herself being held up by a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection. Arms, as she looks down on, are not those of a dressed PA and more like those of a well dressed club owner. Groaning out loud, white light passed through her vision again. Chloe can't help but think, if there really is a God, he hates her. _Of all the dumb luck._ She would have continued that train of thought only to be shaken out of her musings by a very distinct voice.

"Detective? What a lovely surprise. You just missed my annual physical evaluation. If I had known you were going to visit me, I wouldn't have gotten dressed so quickly."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she abruptly stands up to detangle herself from him, only to sway on her feet from moving too fast. Chloe feels one of his hands on her cheek while the other steadies her body from movement. Scrunching her face in pain more waves of light cross her eyes each time Lucifer touches her.

"Detective. What the bloody hell has happened to you?" Lucifer whispers in a mixture of horror and unflinching concern.

She doesn't want to look at him. She knows what's reflected on his face, because she can clearly hear it. All of her resolve will come undone if she gazes into his eyes. She's just too emotional right now to deal with him. She can feel him guiding her gently into the room. She glances over to the mirror on the wall and finally sees her appearance. The right side of her face is caked with blood from her head injury and her cheek is swollen and starting to sport a purplish black bruise. Her jacket has been ripped on the same side her body collided with the rough walls of the holding cell. _Oh._ She thinks. Not realizing how much of a mess she appears to be. Gently pushing Lucifer aside for some much need space, she gathers all her strength to peer up at him.

"Lucifer. I'll tell you the same thing I told Dan. I'm _fine_ ," she quietly says to him. Raising the palm of her hand to her head, she hisses at the contact pulling back immediately and grimacing simultaneously.

"Yes, _clearly_ you're fine. You're _not_ fine Detective, not in the least," Lucifer argues back.

Getting a good look at him, she can see what she feared the most. Concern and worry lining the features of his face. Over her. He's not allowed to be this way, not after he abandoned her. Not after he came back pretending that their relationship hadn't changed in irrevocable ways. She's so conflicted. She feels a rush of anger over his concern, but also warmth and safety.

He's still dressed as impeccably as ever. Wearing a black slacks, a purple button down shirt with matching suit jacket, he exudes class and refinement. Not a hair on his head out of place. Scruffy yet well groomed, he once told her she looked heaven sent, but in this moment he's the one who looked divine the way the light is hitting him through the center of the office.

She must have been lost in her thoughts too long because he reached out to lay his hand on her shoulder.

"Detective?"

Unfortunately, he chose her bad shoulder and she cried out in pain, hunching over slightly. The pain in her head returned tenfold and she shut her eyes immediately. More visions of white light filtered through her eyelids and she tries to get the pain under control. Taking deep gulps of breath through her nose, she straightens a bit in order to reassure Lucifer she's okay, lifting her hand in the stop position to give her a moment. Some of the pain has subsided after several moments, tempting her to lift her head up to him again to speak but stops short when she opens her eyes to him.

Jaw slightly ajar, she blinks at him, and then blinks again. Not quite believing what she's seeing. She knows Lucifer is going into full blown panic since she still hasn't said anything, but she doesn't know what to say. She's staring at the impossible. Beyond Lucifer, there are wings attached to him. Like, the kind of wings he once told her about. Beautiful, white wings that have agility and grace, strength and power, full of _light_. Wanting to reach out to them, she raises her left arm forward to feel them and prove to herself they're real. But as quickly as they filled her vision, they disappeared.

Confusion and intensely sharp bolts of pain flashed through her causing her to waver and stumble into him.

"Lucifer, your wings? How…," mumbling to him as she searches his eyes for a truth she's known all along. Chloe starts to drift off as blackness fills her. She felt more than she heard Lucifer shout for someone to help, only to pass out in his arms, again.

 **OOOOO**


End file.
